Faith is More Than Feelings - July 4, 2013

James 2:15-16
15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,
16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

Faith is more than something you just feel. Many people confuse emotions and feelings with faith. They come to church and they are moved emotionally, they're inspired, and they're stimulated. They get a quiver in their liver and say, "Oh, man! I'm moved!"

And they go out after the service and maybe they even cried a little or felt God's presence. But just because you feel God's presence, doesn't mean you have real faith. There's a big difference between faith and feeling.

James says faith is not mere sentimentality. You go out on the street and you see some homeless person who's destitute. They're poor, they're hungry, they're cold, and they need clothing and shelter. And you walk up to them and say, "Well, I'll pray for you."

That's not faith. Faith is compassionate. How many times did Jesus say, or it was said about him, "He was moved with compassion for people." Faith is practical. It gets involved in people's hurts. And when you see a need, you do something about it. That's real faith.

Faith is not meant to just help you, it is meant to help others.
When I read this, I think back to our retreats. Most do cry and feel the presence but how does this change us.
Most of the times, I think we are all hyped up for God during the retreat, but then that quickly fades away after the retreat is over. That has only made a difference in you for a little while. But that's not what faith is.
We must continually meditate on the word and demonstrate our faith and compassion to others.
It not all just about you, a big part if it is compassion. If we are moved by the Holy Spirit, shouldn't we act when we see our bothers or sisters in need? That of course is hard to do sometimes, especially if it is someone we don't know. But the Holy Spirit is with us giving us the courage and strength to do these things.

There is a difference between feeling and faith.

~Audrey~